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Little Sun’s ‘social change’ doesn’t change enough

Published 4 September 2019

From
Christine Wolak, Dublin, California, US

The news from Olafur Eliasson that Little Sun lamps increase the homework efficiency of girls in households without electricity by 80 per cent isn’t inspiring: it’s a sad story about the unequal expectations for boys and girls (13 July, p 28).

I support the health and safety and climate justifications for replacing oil lanterns with solar-powered LED lamps. But describing how they enable girls to do the dishes and their homework while boys only do the latter tells girls that they can study and still have time to take care of everyone else. Where does that extra time come …